Food compartment liner with folded edges and vinyl seal

ABSTRACT

In preferred form, a food compartment liner for domestic refrigerators having sheet metal walls with contiguous edges joined by folding tabs on one edge of the two adjacent walls over a turned edge of the other wall. A seal between the edges hermetically seals the joint and covers the intersection of the walls. U-shaped channels along contiguous edges of the walls coact to recess the intersection or corner of the walls and locate the folded edge connection within the liner&#39;&#39;s outline as defined by intersecting planes of the walls.

United States Patent Inventor Keith K. Kesling Vandalia, Ohio Appl. No. 859,505 Filed Sept. 19, 1969 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 Assignee General Motors Corporation Detroit, Mich.

FOOD COMPARTMENT LINER WITH FOLDED EDGES AND VINYL SEAL 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 220/9 R, 220/4 R, 220/63 R, 220/81 Int. Cl 865d 25/18 Field of Search 220/9 R, 9 F. lO.8l,4R,67.66, 17.63R

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/l92l Bardush 220/63 R 2,995,270 8/196] Henchert .4 220/8] X FOREIGN PATENTS I.095,l75 l2/l954 France 220/63 R 77 I 445 4/1957 Great Britain 220/8] Primary E.raminer.loseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Attorneys-William S. Pettigrew and J. C. Evans ABSTRACT: In preferred form, a food compartment liner for domestic refrigerators having sheet metal walls with contiguous edgesjoined by folding tabs on one edge of the two adjacent walls over a turned edge of the other wall. A seal between the edges hermetically seals the joint and covers the intersection of the walls. U-shaped channels along contiguous edges of the walls coact to recess the intersection or corner of the walls and locate the folded edge connection within the liners outline as defined by intersecting planes of the walls.

PATENTEDuuv 301971 3,623 .625

INVI'IN'I'UR KM fies/2239 9. M

A T TURN/TY FOOD COMPARTMENT LINER WITH FOLDED EDGES AND VINYL SEAL This invention relates to food compartment liners for domestic refrigerators and more particularly to a liner having sheet metal walls assembled together by folded joints.

The food compartment liner of a domestic refrigerator is a hollow rectangular boxlike structure having an open side or face. It forms the inner wall of the refrigerator. A rectangular boxlike shell surrounds the liner and forms the outer walls of the refrigerator. An open side or face of the shell is framed by flanges which form a peripheral edge on the front of the refrigerator for seating doors. Insulation between the shell and the liner prevents the transfer of heat into the food compartment.

Previously, food compartment liners have been made of sheet metal material having edges joined by welding. This method of manufacture requires machinery and jigs to properly align the walls of the liner and therefore is relatively costly.

Other previous food compartment liners have separate wall portions whose edges are mechanically connected by third members. Problems with aligning the walls of the liner, fastening the third member between edges and hermetically sealing the joints are significant. The joined edge portions of these liners protrude beyond the outline of the liner as defined by intersecting planes of the walls. These protrusions are undesirable because they interfere with the framing flanges on the shell during assembly.

The food compartment liner which is the subject of the present application is made of sheet metal walls having con tiguous edges between adjacent walls connected by tabs on one edge which are folded over an adjacent edge. Channels along the edges of the wall coact to position the folded connection within the outline of the liner as defined by intersecting planes of the walls. Undeslrable protruding joints between the walls are thus eliminated. In addition, a portion of a resilient seal member is compressed between the contiguous edges of the walls to hermetically seal the connection.

Therefore, an object of the inventor in the present application is to provide an inexpensive food compartment liner for domestic refrigerators having contiguous edges of sheet metal adjacent walls connected by folding tabs on one edge over an adjacent edge to form joints within the outline of the liner as defined by intersecting planes of the walls.

A still further object of the inventor in the present application is the provision of a food compartment liner for domestic refrigerators having sheet metal walls with channels along contiguous edges of adjacent walls to position a joint between the walls within the outline of the liner as defined by intersecting planes of the walls.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a domestic refrigerator with its doors open and a portion broken away to reveal the connection between adjacent walls of the food compartment liner;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the sealed connection between adjacent walls of the liner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical view in section of the sealed connection between adjacent walls of the food compartment liner taken along section line 3-3 in FIG. I.

In FIG. I of the drawings, a domestic refrigerator is illustrated with an upper door 12 and a lower door 14 in an opened position. The refrigerator 10 includes a rectangular boxlike outer shell I6 having two side portions, a top, a bottom and a back portion. A peripheral flange 18 extends radially inward from shell 16 and defines openings to an upper food compartment 20 and a lower freezer compartment 22. Walls of food compartment 20 are formed by a liner generally indicated by the numeral 24 having sidewalls 26 and 28, bottom wall 30, top wall 32 and rear wall 34. The walls 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 are assembled with contiguous edges on adjacent walls joined together to form a rectangular boxlike structure with an open front. The walls of freezer compartment 22 are formed by a liner which includes two sidewalls, a bottom wall, a top wall and a rear wall connected together in the same manner.

The openings in the refrigerator front framed by flange 18 are substantially rectangular and are slightly greater in dimension that the dimensions of the food compartment liner and the freezer compartment liner respectively. This permits the insertion of the rectangular liner subsequent to assembling the shell 16.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the connection or joint between sidewall 26 and top wall 32 is illustrated. A U-shaped channel 36 is formed along the periphery of wall 32 and has a web portion 38 which extends outwardly from wall 32 and is offset inwardly from the plane of the wall. A second portion 40 of channel 36 projects from the outer edge of portion 38 normal to and toward the plane of wall 32.

A U-shaped channel 42 is formed along the peripheral edge of wall 26 and has a web portion 44 which extends outwardly from wall 26 and is offset inwardly from the plane of the wall. A second portion 46 of channel 42 projects from the outer edge of portion 44 normal to and toward the plane of wall 26. A flange 48 projects from second portion 46 outwardly with respect to wall 26. A plurality of tabs 50 spaced along the outer edge of the wall 26 project from flange 48.

A seal generally indicated by the numeral 52 hermetically seals the connection between wall 26 and wall 32. In cross section the seal 52 is generally T-shaped having a leg portion 54 and a head portion 56 integrally connected. Seal 52 is conveniently made by extrusion molding.

In FIG. 2 the walls 26 and 32 are shown in an exploded view before final connection. Leg portion 54 of seal 52 is adapted to be compressed between flange 48 on wall 26 and the portion 40 on wall 32. The head portion 56 of seal 52 extends diagonally between portion 38 of wall 32 and portion 44 of wall 26 to conceal the intersection of the walls. When the walls are connected, portions 38 and 40 of wall 32 lie parallel to portion 46 and flange 48 of wall 26. In a final assembly step, tabs 50 are folded over the seals leg portion 54 and the portion 40 of wall 32 to secure walls 26 and 32 together.

The purpose of providing U-shaped channels along the edges of the walls is to locate the surface of flange 48 and tabs 50 within the outline of the liner as defined by the intersection of the planes of walls 26 and 32. FIG. 3 clearly illustrates this desirable feature. An undesirable projecting joint is therefore avoided. This nonprojecting or recessed joint permits insertion of the liner through the rectangular opening formed by flange 18 on shell 16 subsequent to the shells final assembly.

Although only the connection between walls 26 and 32 have been illustrated and discussed in detail, it should be understood that the same connections between wall 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 are contemplated. It should also be understood that the connections between walls of the freezer compartment liner are made in the same manner.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein described constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adapted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A food compartment liner for a domestic refrigerator comprising: thin planar walls of sheet material; said walls arranged to form a boxlike structure having substantially perpendicular adjacent walls; means connecting contiguous edges of adjacent walls to form a hermetically sealed connection therebetween; said connection means including U-shaped channels in said walls along said contiguous edges; each of said channels having its web portion extending outwardly from its respective wall in a plane generally parallel thereto and inwardly offset from the plane of said wall and a second portion extending normal to and outwardly toward the plane of said wall from said web portion; a flange on one of each pair of contiguous edges extending from said second portion outwardly from its respective wall in the plane thereof; an elonflange folded over said leg portion of said seal and said second portion of the adjacent wall connecting said walls together and whereby the outer surface of the connection formed by said flange and said tabs is within the outline of the food companment liner defined by intersecting planes of said walls. 

1. A food compartment liner for a domestic refrigerator comprising: thin planar walls of sheet material; said walls arranged to form a boxlike structure having substantially perpendicular adjacent walls; means connecting contiguous edges of adjacent walls to form a hermetically sealed connection therebetween; said connection means including U-shaped channels in said walls along said contiguous edges; each of said channels having its web portion extending outwardly from its respective wall in a plane generally parallel thereto and inwardly offset from the plane of said wall and a second portion extending normal to and outwardly toward the plane of said wall from said web portion; a flange on one of each pair of contiguous edges extending from said second portion outwardly from its respective wall in the plane thereof; an elongated seal generally T-shaped in cross section having a leg portion and a head portion integrally connected; said leg portion being between said flange on one wall and said second portion of an adjacent wall to locate said head portion of said seal diagonally between said web portions of the U-shaped channels of said adjacent walls; tabs on the distal edge of said flange folded over said leg portion of said seal and said second portion of the adjacent wall connecting said walls together and whereby the outer surface of the connection formed by said flange and said tabs is within the outline of the food compartment liner defined by intersecting planes of said walls. 